Marriott offered the non-sequitur that it’s easy to request retro credit for points that don’t post correctly, that it’s “no more than a two-step process,” which is funny because the form literally lists three steps.
Hotels
Category Archives for Hotels.
Airbnb Wants To Fix Six Things About Its Business
Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky took to twitter to crowdsource priorities for improving their product. He reported back on the top six priorities that came out of the project.
Marriott Eliminating Air And Hotel Awards Effective Next Wednesday
Marriott travel packages – a multi-night hotel stay bundled with a transfer of airline miles – used to be one of the great sweet spots of Marriott Rewards, just as ‘Nights and Flights’ was a great value option in the Starwood Preferred Guest program. Effective January 19, 2022 though these redemptions are no more.
No Leeway: Marriott Member Misses Ambassador Status By $8, “I Should’ve Had A Drink At The Bar”
A Marriott Bonvoy member reports that they had 102 nights and $13,992 spent with Marriott during 2021. Top tier Ambassador status required at least 100 nights and $14,000 in spend. They add that they should have gotten a drink at the bar on their last stay, but didn’t realize they’d need it. And they’d happily send Marriott the $8.
Several Marriotts Now Tack On An Unexplained ‘Sustainability Fee’
Several hotels in Marriott’s Autograph Collection now hit guests with an extra $4.99 per night ‘sustainability fee’ that isn’t included in the room rate. The fee isn’t described on the hotels’ websites, either.
This appears to be a fee to sustain the hotel owner’s revenue since they do not even appear to be pretending that tacking on a non-optional fee – drip pricing – somehow benefits the environment.
MGM’s New Elite Benefits May Extend To Hyatt Members, But Resort Fees Still Apply On Awards
One sweet spot is that MGM Rewards grants Gold elite status to Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members. This now includes a waiver of resort fees, upgrade at check-in if available (view, high floor); dedicated line at restaurants; and complimentary valet parking.
However if you’ve gained your Gold status via Hyatt you will not receive the Gold level’s $100 tier achievement celebration dinner. And if you redeem Hyatt points for your stay you will not have your resort fee waived.
Marriott Limits How Many Awards You Can Give Away Each Year
I’d bet a lot of members will run afoul of this without realizing it, especially since it does not appear that Marriott has any controls in place to prevent you from giving away room nights more than 5 times in a calendar year and they haven’t told members about this new rule.
If You’re Losing Your Hyatt Status, Here’s A Trick To Keep It
Hyatt and MGM have a partnership that dates back to 2013. They each offer members in the other program status matches – not one time matches, but rather status in one program ‘equals’ status in the other.
And the status year in each program ends at a different time. This creates an opportunity to still have status with one program, after your status has ended in the other, and to use that to ‘match back’ to regain status – in perpetuity, or as long as this tactic has continued to last (and it’s lasted for years).
MGM Resorts Adds Suite Upgrades, Airfare Credit And Celebration Dinners As Elite Benefits
The suite upgrade and celebration dinners are new, as are the formalized air travel credits though those betting to achieve top tiers wouldn’t normally be paying for things so the credits are a bit redundant. The elimination of resort fees for mid-tier elites is similarly welcome.
In making elite status harder to earn through non-gambling spend, though, it represents a strategic pivot away from using the program to attract families and other leisure guests that’s been a focus in recent years.
Woman In Red Bikini Goes Berserk When Diamond Guest Checks In Ahead Of Her
A woman in a red bikini became enraged when a black man approached the Diamond line at the front desk of the Hilton Rio de Janeiro Copacabana on December 30th.
She can be seen on video circulating in social media yelling at hotel employees. The woman’s partner, who was reportedly drunk, insisted they were in line first and took offense at elites cutting in line.